Fastening machine



Aug. 25, v1942. F. RITABERLET 2,294,253

FASTENING MACHINE Filed March 23, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet l C51" c 5] l VL: .53

.raf- 33 O 4e Je 34 I 40 ZJ Z3 Aug. 2s, 1942.

F. R. TABERLET FSTEQINGv MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMarCh 23, 1940 INVENTOR f/efo e. m35/@Afr AU@ 25;'1942 F. R TABERLET 2,294,253

FASTENING MACHINE Filed Mgrh 2s, i940 s sheets-ghe, s

INVENTOR BfREO ,Q Af/QLE 7' n@ Z/M? @atc-intesi Aug. 25, 42

9 Glaims.

The present invention relates to the automatic production of slide fasteners and pertains more particularly to a machine and method for forming the fastener elements and for assembling them upon a tape.

The invention is characterized by its simplicity, production economy, and emciency of operation, entailing the production of the fastener elements from a strip of metal, and the guiding of the same to the point of application to a tape upon which they are fastened.

lt is an object of the invention to provide apparatus whereby the elements produced thereby are directed to the point where they are applied to the tape by displacement of said elements successively in a guide track. More simply stated the invention contemplates apparatus having a guide track for receiving the elements as they are formed at one end of said track to cause displacement of the elements at the other end of said track, and at the latter point to be axed to a tape.

in order to use a strip of metal of the narrowest commensurate width for the purposes of economy, the invention further contemplates forming the elements in the shape and form which they assume on the tape, providing means in the guide track for spreading the elements so they may be readily associated with the tape and then restoring the elements to their initial shape as they are clamped upon the tape.

The invention also contemplates novel means for clamping the elements upon the tape and includes, among other novel features, the provision of means for stripping the elements from the element forming punch, and the provision of means for chopping up the scrap oi the .strip from which the elements are formed-and disposing of the same.

'I'he foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more clearly evident from the following detailed specification describing the invention.

The accompanying drawings, forming the basis for the specification, illustrate, in an exemplary manner, a machine incorporating the inventive concept and by means of which the present novel method may be practiced.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a machine incorporating the features of the invention, the ram Fig. 3 is a plan view of a strip showing its condition as moving through the machine;

Fig. e is a fragmentary detail vertical sectional view showing the entering end of the fastener element guide track;

Figs. 5, v6 and 7 are respectively detail sectional views as taken on lines 5-5, 6-5 and l-l of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view I which is illustrated, the drives for the various operating portions of the machine have been omitted :in-as-much as these drives may be conventional and are not necessary for understanding the structure and mode of operation.

The machine is preferably arranged upon a horizontal support i5 from which the vertical pilot studs it project upwardly to hold the guide il for the ram-or punch it. The latter may be reciprocated in the usual manner as by one revolution clutch means.

Upon the support it there are arranged members it which form a guide for a metal strip 2d from which the fastener elements are punched.

thereof being omitted and the punch members thereof being shown in cross-section;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View as taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

This strip may be intermittently fed through said guide in uniform increments as by means of the feed rolls 2l in timed synchronous relation with the movement of the punch in any well-knownl manner.

As illustrated in Figs. 1,'2 and 3 the ram I8 is preferably provided with a tool 22 for forming the prong of the fastener element; with a tool 23 for punching out the slitiof said element; and with a tool 2d for severing the element from said strip. It will be noted that the operations performed by these three tools lare simultaneous so that with each operation of the punch and with a commensurate feed of the metal strip 20, a fastener element is formed although three stages of operation have been employed to form said element. In order to accommodate the prong 25 after formation by the tool 22 the lower of the members i9 is recessed as at 26 so that feed of the strip 20 is not interferred with. 'I'he punching 2l which leaves the slit in the element may fall away as through a passage 28 formed in the support i5.

As seen in Fig. 3, when the elements have been severed from the strip, said strip is disposed of by chopping up the scrap as by means of a knife 29 having shearing engagement with the edge 30 of the lower member I9. These chopped pieces 3| of the strip are` disposed of by means of an air jet 32 which blows them into a disposal passage 33 confined by the walls 34.

The punching tool 24 operates within a cavity 35 formed in the lower of the members |9. Inasmuch as it is 'necessary to strip the element away from said punch so as not to be pulled upward thereby during the recovery movementA of the ram, means are provided as shown in Fig. 8 for frictionally engaging edge portions of the element to hold the same while the punch retracts.

, As illustrated, this means preferably comprises the detents 36 urged, as by means of the springs 31, inwardly toward each other to clamp the element 38'therebetween. With each operation of the punch a new element is formed and serves to displace the preceding element as it becomes positioned between the detents 36.

The machine is provided with a passage 39 through which is intermittently moved a tape "40 uponwhich the elements 38 are to be mounted. Although not illustrated any suitable manner of moving the tape in the direction of the arrow and in an intermittent manner maybe employed.

It is desired to transfer the elements 38 from their positionbeneath the punch 24 to an associated position with the tape 40 so that said elements-may be clamped to said tape. In the present instance the means employed for this purpose preferably comprises an Aarcuate substantially semi-circular guide track 4| which is formed within the adjacent blocks 42 held in fixed supported relation, on support i5.

'Ihe guide track, of course, is designed to accommodate the spreading of the elements.

In order to control and denitely position the element which is being displaced from the guide track, a member 45 acted upon by a cam 4,6

carried by the ram, is moved to overstanding relation to said element and thus serves as a stop therefor.

of clamp members 49. This condition is shown in Figs. 9 andi-10. .After the clamping action has occurredythe lfinger 41 and the clamping members 49 are moved from engaging relation with the clamped element so that the tape may vbe fed as hereinbefore indicated. After this movement of the tape the finger 41 is again moved to overstanding position with respect to the next ejectedelement and subsequently thereafter the clamping members 49 are operated to clamp said next element. to the tape. In'this manner the elements moved through' the guide track are successively clamped to the' tape 40.

The clamping members may be operated in any suitable manner. For instance, they may be, mounted upon slides 50 movable by cam means 5| through the medium of levers 52, the

r springs 53 serving to retract the clamping mem- It is evident from the above that as an element y is formed by the punch 24 and urged thereby to a position between the detents 36, displacement of all of the elements forming a column and being in contact with one another within the guide track 4| occurs.

Thus, as a new element is formed, the element i of the said column nearest the exit of the guide track is projected upwardly out of said guide track. This mode of feed occurs successively with each reciprocation of the ram |8.

In order to obviate accidental dearrangement of the elements within the guide track 4| it is preferred to position a Stringer 43 within said A' track and having cooperative association with the slots formed in the elements 38.

Although the elements may be punched from the strip 20 in a spread condition so as to be ready for association with the tape and particularly with the bead thereof, it is preferred to form said elements in their closed or contracted condition so that a narrower strip 20 'may be employed to effect a saving in the cost thereof. Since in their contracted condition the elements cannot be mounted upon the tape, it becomes necessary to spread them. For this purpose the Stringer 43, at any desired portion of the guide track 4|, is formed with the opposed cam surfaces 44. It is readily apparent that, as the'elements progress in close contact with one another through the guide track, these cam surfaces wedge the elements apart from the condition shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. '1

bers, whereas the cam means 5| serve to control them during their clamping movement.

It will be particularly noted that no moving parts have been employed to effect the transfer of the elements from the punch to the tape, the transfer being effected by successive and progressive displacement of the elements as they are being formed. It is evident then that a particular characteristic of the machine is its simplicity and that its efficiency is high inasmuch as there is little likelihood of disarrangement of the operating parts.

l While the machine has been described in considerable detail and with respect to an embodiment thereof which is at present'preferred, it should be understood that the principles disclosed herein may as readily be practiced in embodiments thereof which may vary in detail from that disclosed.

It is intended," therefore, that the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed be not unduly limited by the present disclosure.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new andv desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A machine of the character described com- A finger 41 on the member 4.5 serves this purpose. When the ram is retracted,

pris'ing means for forming fastener elements.

where they are in tape mounting condition.

said means including a punch for severing said elements from a strip of metal fed to said machine, means for stripping the elements from said punch comprising spring urged members arranged in spaced opposed relation and having frictional engagement withopposite lateral portions of lsaid elements, track means for guiding said elements to a tape for mounting thereon, said elements contacting each other in said track means and being progressively displaced by at least one succeeding element severed by said punch to move another of said elements out of said track, and means for clamping each element to said tape as'it leaves the track.

2. In a machine of the character described guide means for fastener elements,`means for moving said elements, said guide means comprisingl a curved channeled track, and means projecting into said track for gradually spreading the elements into tape associating condition during movement thereof along said track.

3. In a machine of the character described means for receiving fastener elements and guiding the same to a tape, means for moving said elements in said rst mentioned means and means provided with opposed cam surfaces xedly disposed within the first mentioned means for gradually spreading the elements into tape associating condition during movement thereof in said first mentioned means.

4. A machine of the character described comprising means for feeding fastener elements, guide means for receiving and directing said elements from said feeding means and provided with an inlet and an outlet, the respective contours of said inlet and said 4outlet. being disppsed in opposed direction, and a tape adapted to be intermittently moved and to which said elements are to be attached, said tape being positioned adjacent said outlet, said elements being fed through said inlet into said guide means and being movable therealong by succeeding elements fed by said feeding means whereby an element discharged fromsaid guide means at said outlet is presented in proper associative relation with said tape and moved in the direction of the movement of the tape for engagement with said tape.

5. In a machine of the character described having means for feeding fastener elements and a tape adapted to be intermittently moved for mounting thereon fed fastener elements in spaced apart relation; said feeding means compx'lsing guide means positioned adjacent said tape, said guide means being provided with an inlet and an outlet and being adapted to receive therein a column of fastener elements successively arranged and extending in contact with one another from said inlet to said outlet, and means provided with opposed cam surfaces pro- Jecting in said guide means for gradually spreading said elements into tape associating condition,

`whereby upon feeding an element through said inlet to said column said column will be displaced in such manner that an element thereof positioned adjacent said outlet is moved in the direction of said intermittently moved tape for engagement with said tape.

6. In a machine of the character described having means for feeding fastener elements to a tape to be intermittently moved for mounting thereon said fastener elements in spaced apart relation; said means comprising curved guide means for said fastener. elements, said guide means being provided with an inlet and an out-A let and being adapted to receive a column of fastener elements therein extending successively and in contact with one another from said inlet to said outlet, the outlet of said curved guide means being positioned in such manner with respect to said inlet as to present elements adjacent said inlet and adjacent said outlet in opposed positions, an element adjacent said outlet astriding said tape for engagement with the tape upon feeding an element to said column through said inlet whereby said column is displaced.

7. The method of producing element bearing4 fastener tapes which consists in severing the elements successively from a strip of metal, each element having the shape and contour which it assumes when mounted on a tape, feeding said elements singly into a guide chute so that each element displaces the preceding element in contact therewith, whereby the elements are successively moved out of said guide chute, gradually spreading the elements into tape associating condition during their movement through said chute, and clamping each spread element to the fastener tape as said element comes out of said chute.

8. In theherein disclosed method. the step of displacing a stack of fastener elements transversely disposed in curved guide means as each element is formed and joins said stack, and the further step of gradually spreading the elements of said stack during their displacement lengthwise and out of said guide means from contracted to tape associating condition.

9. In a machine of the character described. stamping means for forming fastener elements,

means for clamping the fastener elements on a tape, means for feeding the fastener elements from the forming means to the clamping means, said feeding means comprising a tubular guide having a passage corresponding to the shape of the fastener elements and interconnecting the stamping means and clamping means, said guide being slitted at a location adjacent said clamping means to bring the tape into contact with fastener elements at said location.

FRED R. TABERLET. 

